Tubular reactor for heterogeneous reactions

Abstract

A reactor for accelerating heterogeneous reactions and affording an increased yield rate per unit of time and space comprises a cylindrical reactor tube containing in its interior a piston having relatively flat profiling in its skirt in the form of annular ribs and grooves therebetween, inlet conduits leading into the interior of the reaction tube through the bottom clousre thereof, which may also be introduced from above and extend axially through the piston, an outlet tube is provided in the region of the top closure of the reaction tube, the piston is being connected via a piston rod with a vibrator imparting axial oscillatory movement of the piston, these oscillations generating turbulences in the annular piston grooves which effect a thorough mixing of the reaction participants without causing any noteworthy re-mixing of the resulting reaction products with the starting components.

We claim: 
     
       1. A tubular reactor comprising a reactor tube having two open tube ends, closure means for each of said tube ends, inlet means at least at one of said tube ends for substances to be processed, at least one outlet at the other tube end for a product to be obtained, inset means in the reactor tube being axially displaceable therein, and drive means for an axial to-and frodisplacement of said inset means relative to the reactor tube, said inset means consisting essentially of a piston having a longitudinal piston axis, a piston skirt and, in said piston skirt, circumferential grooves whose depth t is less than about half the maximal radius of the piston taken in a plane radially to said piston axis. 
     
     
       2. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the distance g between the piston skirt and the internal wall surface of the reactor tube amounts to about 0.5 to 3 times the depth t of the circumferential grooves. 
     
     
       3. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the width b, taken in the direction of said piston axis, of each of the circumferential grooves amounts to 0.2 to 2 times the depth t of the circumferential grooves. 
     
     
       4. The reactor of claim 3, wherein said width b is from about half to the same as said depth t. 
     
     
       5. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the distance a of adjacent ones of the circumferential grooves from each other is about 0.5 to 2 times the width b of each of the circumferential grooves. 
     
     
       6. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the circumferential grooves have a substantially rectangular cross section. 
     
     
       7. The reactor of claim 1, further includes at least one inlet means extends axially through said piston and entering said piston through one piston end for conveying substances into the reactor tube. 
     
     
       8. The reactor of claim 7, wherein said one piston end, through which said additional inlet means enters, is designed at least partly as a static mixer. 
     
     
       9. The reactor of claim 1, wherein said drive means are constructed so as to impart to said piston a frequency of oscillation amounting to from 0.1 cycle to one kilocycle, and an oscillation stroke amounting to from 0.1 to 30 mm. 
     
     
       10. The reactor of claim 9, wherein the distance g between said piston and said internal tube wall amounts to 0.05 to 5 times the oscillation stroke of said piston. 
     
     
       11. The reactor of claim 9, whrein the width b, taken in the direction of said piston axis, of said circumferential grooves amounts to 0.05 to 5 times the oscillation stroke of the piston. 
     
     
       12. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the distance a between adjacent ones of circumferential grooves in the direction of said piston axis amounts to 0.05 to 5 times the oscillation stroke of said piston. 
     
     
       13. The reactor of claim 1, wherein said reactor tube comprises a bottom defined by one of said closure means, and the distance between said reactor tube bottom and the piston end adjacent said tube bottom corresponds to said width of the circumferential grooves, and at least to the length of the to-and-fro displacement of said piston.